Boom!
The colossal Lightning Dragon dissolved into countless dazzling, crackling bolts, engulfing the entire area. The electricity writhed in the air like snakes, destroying everything within its reach. Even the paving stones of the street were shattered, leaving the ground scorched black.
"The speed of lightning is terrifying, but..."
Redfield, holding his bat-handled blue umbrella, appeared on the rooftop of a house opposite Enel, and said faintly, "Aim better next time!"
Whoosh~
No sooner had he finished speaking than a fierce gust of wind attacked from above. Redfield's face changed. He instinctively brought the umbrella's butt-end to intercept the blow.
Clang!
As the fist and umbrella connected, sparks flew, and a violent, metallic crashing sound erupted. A clear white ring of air immediately spread outwards.
"Damn it!"
Redfield felt a terrifying, immense force transmit through the long umbrella in his hand. His feet sank deep, and the rooftop beneath him was already covered in cracks, unable to bear the weight.
Rumble!
Before Redfield could react, the building under his feet collapsed into countless bricks and stones, kicking up a hazy cloud of dust, and sending countless fragments blasting outwards.
Putt, putt, putt, putt...
Driven by the powerful air pressure, the stone fragments became like bullets, striking nearby buildings like buckshot, riddling them with holes. Spectators and those who hadn't managed to flee were also caught in the crossfire; their bodies were pierced by the flying debris, erupting in large plumes of blood mist.
"Ahh! My eyes! My eyes!"
"No! My leg, it hurts so much!"
"Mo-Monsters! Run!"
"This is a battle between great pirates! Getting involved means death! We have to get out of here!"
With corpses scattered everywhere, riddled like sieves, and dozens of wounded screaming in agony, practically everyone was utterly terrified. They scattered, clutching their heads as they tried to flee.
Boom!
The ruins exploded as a huge amount of rubble flew outwards.
Buzz!
Aeridar and Redfield stood facing each other. The air vibrated, emitting an unnatural sound. Two incredibly terrifying presences stood in opposition, seemingly forming an invisible aura field that caused the scattered stones on the ground to tremble lightly.
"What a powerful presence! A clash of Conqueror's Haki!"
Oliver, who had arrived at a nearby street corner, watched the two men in silent astonishment.
"Tch."
Enel's face was grim, and he tightened his grip on his golden staff.
"Brat, you think that just because you managed to wound Newgate with a group of people you can set your sights on me?!" Redfield's eyes were darker and colder than before. He instantly transformed his bat-handled long umbrella into a sharp sword, adopting a stance where the sword was held close and his arm was drawn back.
In the next moment, his arm shot out like lightning, and the long umbrella in his hand thrust forward with extreme speed and momentum. In an instant, a scarlet blood-light burst forth, and a blood-colored sword-wave practically tore the air.
Crimson Solitude: Scarlet Wave!
In fact, after escaping from Impel Down, Redfield, although he hadn't seen the entirety of the Paramount War, had heard many reports, especially concerning Aeridar's and Blackbeard Teach's dual Devil Fruit abilities, which greatly shocked him.
Furthermore, after the brief exchange just now, he understood that the brat before him was no longer the man he had once fought. Therefore, his first move was a killing blow, holding nothing back.
Poof~
The air rippled slightly, and Aeridar had already vanished from the spot.
Rumble!
The blood-light flashed instantly, and the blood-colored sword-wave, meeting no resistance, sliced through the ground, people, houses, high-rises, and steel... cutting everything in its path and leaving a narrow, kilometer-long fissure in the earth. It was impossible to know how many people had died from that single slash.
"That's excessive!"
Aeridar appeared out of thin air beside Redfield and swept a heavy kick, powerful and imposing, that stirred up a howling gale in the air.
"What is that speed?!"
Redfield's face twisted in shock. He subconsciously retracted his long umbrella and held it up to his side.
Clang!
A fierce metallic clash rang out. The bat-handled long umbrella in Redfield's hand, now blackened like metal, violently shook. A white air-ring rolled and spread out in the atmosphere, instantly stirring up a terrifying, hurricane-like shockwave that lifted countless dust and debris.
With that contact, he felt an overwhelmingly powerful force transmit through the long umbrella in his hand, several times stronger than the previous punch. In this moment, such astonishing, terrifying power caused the images of Garp, Newgate, and Kaido to flash quickly through his mind.
Veins bulged on Redfield's forehead and the back of his hand, his face flushed scarlet, and his body was pushed backward by Aeridar's enormous force, his feet carving two long, deep grooves in the stone pavement, which was surrounded by a network of hairline cracks.
"How can such power be hidden in that body?" Redfield barely managed to stop himself, stating in horror, "Are you a monster?!"
That near-instantaneous speed, combined with the unparalleled, surging brute strength… even in his prime, when his strength surpassed the opponent's by a margin, he would still have difficulty defeating him. At best, he would maintain a deadlock.
Extreme speed and extreme power, both possessed by a single person. Even after traversing the seas for decades, this was the first time Redfield had encountered it.
"A guest has arrived, and as the host, I must naturally give him a proper welcome!"
The corner of Aeridar's mouth curled into an increasingly evil sneer. He swiftly discarded his coat, and a dense black color gradually enveloped his entire body.
After one or two breaths, a jet-black metallic statue stood in his place, reflecting a metallic luster under the dazzling sunlight.
Armament Haki: Full Body Hardening—Black Armor!
"Brat, be careful that I, the guest, don't flip your house over!" Redfield's fury erupted. Though shocked by the opponent's power, as a great pirate who had dominated the seas for decades, he had his own pride.
"Hahahaha! If you have the guts, then come and try!"
Aeridar roared with laughter. He stomped his powerful leg on the ground, causing the earth to shake. He immediately shot forward, leaving a deep footprint and a patch of cracked pavement behind him.
His leg was like a sharp blade, wrapped in a fierce gale. Aeridar reached Redfield in the blink of an eye, delivering a flying kick that incorporated the power technique of a Rankyaku, though the force was held back slightly.
Rokushiki: Rankyaku—Blade Kick!
Redfield never considered meeting it head-on. His body flashed, dodging the Blade Kick, and he positioned himself beside Aeridar.
However, Aeridar twisted his waist in mid-air, and the missed Blade Kick suddenly swept across the air with a ripping roar, heading straight for Redfield's head.
Having arrived at Aeridar's side, Redfield's speed suddenly increased by a notch. The long umbrella in his hand was like a sharp sword, and a scarlet blood-light was faintly visible.
Scarlet Flash!
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